The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-06-18

heads and a long scarf around their Shout |
ders and waists The children brought up
the rear of the procession, keeping hold OF
hands and very close together, but they
could not stare around with much greater
curiosity than did their elders. They were
dressed exactly like their fathers and
mothers, and the fact that girl wore
| dress reaching almost to the ground, and
boy great double breasted vest with brass
| buttons on it, did not indicate that either
was over six or seven years of age.
Judging from the dress of the whole
party, the extremely elevated condition in
which they found the mercury must have
| been something of surprise to them. To
put it mildly and avoid even the appearance
of exaggeration it must be said that they
| were dressed comfortably. This was
| especially the case with the men, who must
| certainly have expected to encounter the
| icy fjords and snow-covered mountains of
| the old home near the arctic circle, and not
| the fervor of a mid-continent July day.
| One Of them, who kept little apart from
| the rest, was especially fortified. His high
| boots reaching above the knee and laced
| from the ankle showed that he was the
| Finlander the brakeman had spoken Of
| who had probably come to this country with
| the avowed purpose of using language to
| his oxen that no American OK should hear
| His head was covered with large fur cap
with immense tapping side-pieces designed
| to turn down and protect his ears. The hot
i-''i,>d was further defied- by aaveral saily-
| colored scarfs, one of them tied around his
| waist like large sash, double breasted
| vest that must have been an heirloom, a
| sheepskin coat, the wool inside, together
| with the boots before referred to. He did
| not appear to be too warm, though it was
| remarked by the observant crowd on the
| platform that he wasn't shivering.
! He was tall, finely formed specimen of
| manhood, with honest blue eyes and an
| intelligent expression. He appeared some
| what perpleXed as he looked around. He
could not talk with the rest of the emigrants
| as the Norwegian and Finnish language have
| but little in common. His inquiries in his
| native tongue of the platform crowd CON
corning the whereabouts of any of his
| countrymen did not meet with the most
| flattering success.
1--WE buried the last wan of yes peoples"
said paddy, IAN Well plant we too fore We
| knows it."
IVY don't you talk United States9'
asked another.
The fish bones are sticking in his teeth
so he can't" put in third.
Then the crowd smiled at the surprising
amount of humor it had developed. and
Judge Wilkins pointed out the station agent
to the bewildered Finlander He presented
check and claimed small wooden iron
bound chest, painted Vivid red. The chest
had heavy iron handles and an immense
handmade paddock. On one end of it was
painted in curious-shaped white letters,
PETER Erik Peterson, Dakota, Prairie
City, Mort Ammerika, New York" He
carried smaller chest in his hand bearing
the same legend. 1t is supposed that the !
New York was added TO identify North |
America.
. PETER which he soon anglicized to Peter, |
shouldered his trunk and walked away, |
which act gave the crowd on the platform |
considerable respect for his strength, even |
If it retained its poor opinion of him as a |
inguist. He succeeded in finding a man |
who could understand few words of his |
language, who directed him towards set |
Element of his people several miles from |
town, and he proceeded in that direction,
still carrying his baggage-other people |
might trust their possessions out of their
sight II they wished to, but not he.
But Peter had many things in view; he
had come TO the new world to do d great
work, and he thought of it and it made his
burden lighter. For Peter had come on a
mission Half the people in the little vii
lage in which he lived and in the little val
ley in which the village nestled had given
something toward his coming. His father
and brothers and sisters and many of his /
friends, had contributed money to hrs own
little purse to make the sum sufficient to
buy the ticket TO America. For they were
all very poor and the steamship companies
demanded fabulous sum to carry one
across the ocean. But others had gone from
other villages and had made such sums of
money in the new world that it was almost
impossible to comprehend the amount
And they sent part of it back and repaid
their Indebtedness and enough more to buy
others tickets, and they had done the same
and gradually nearly the whole village had
sailed away towards that land where all
were rich and happy and every man as good
as every other man.
So it was time that this village bestirred
itself and started for America also. And
Peter was selected because he was strong
and hardy and intelligent, and was bound
to be great man some day anyhow. And
besides he had been working for three
years to get money enough for this very
purpose and he was great traveller already,
having been as far as Stockholm.
So they all gave Peter something to help
him on his way The carpenter made his
chest without charge and the painter let
tered it and would not hear of pay. And
Peters grandfather, Hendrick Antijuntti
Peterson, who lived up on the mountain,
took off his sheepskn coat which he had
worn for sixty years, and which was just in
the very height of fashion, and put it on
him with his blessing, explaining that as he
understood it this place, America, was on
the other side of the world and accordingly
had winter when Finland and Europe and
Asia were enjoying summer, and reckoning
from this stand point, he found that Peter
would reach there in the dead of the cold
season ard a good sheepskin coat or two
would not come amiss
And as Peter trudged along he thought |
of ali these, but he was only home-sick and
wished himself back in the little village in
the little valley between the mountains
when he thought of another. And her name
was Mary. But though the thought of her
made him long to be back to his native
village it also made the iron-bound chest
seem lighter, and he went on towards the
settlement all the faster For Mary was
the one above all others that he had come
to America to work for. Mary had |
helped him more than all the rest-she had |
given him more. She had made him the |
bright-colored sash he wore-sheared the |
sheen carded and sDun the wool dyed the |